Oklahoma Military Academy Museum

The Oklahoma Military Academy Museum in Claremore tells the stories of the more than 10,000 cadets who attended the school from 1919 until it closed in 1971. To pay tribute to these soldiers, the museum showcases a variety of artifacts and memorabilia highlighting the service and sacrifice of area men in wartime, including a re-creation of a typical cadet room, weaponry donated by former cadets, uniform items, photographs of cadets as soldiers including those killed in action and events, as well as various trophies and awards won by cadets.

The Oklahoma Military Academy Museum in Claremore tells the stories of the more than 10,000 cadets who attended the school from 1919 until it closed in 1971. To pay tribute to these soldiers, the museum showcases a variety of artifacts and memorabilia highlighting the service and sacrifice of area men in wartime, including a re-creation of a typical cadet room, weaponry donated by former cadets, uniform items, photographs of cadets as soldiers including those killed in action and events, as well as various trophies and awards won by cadets.

The museum is located right across the street from the Will Rogers Memorial, and the histories of both places are intertwined as Will Rogers took an active interest in the Oklahoma Military Academy during his last few years, by helping the school establish a winning polo team in the 1930's. To visit the museum, guests will stroll across the front campus of Rogers State University, the academy’s successor on what is known as College Hill. Many of RSU's present buildings were once part of the Oklahoma Military Academy and stand as a testament to its continued legacy of education. Preparatory Hall, a stunning large, white building with a gold dome crowns College Hill and is visible from a mile away down Will Rogers Boulevard. The Oklahoma Military Academy Museum itself is located on the second floor of Meyer Hall. The hall is a stately red bricked and white columned building that once served as one of the academy’s barracks, and it stands to the north of Preparatory Hall. Meyer Hall, Preparatory Hall and the museum are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Established as the West Point of the Southwest, the Oklahoma Military Academy began as a cavalry school until tanks arrived in the mid-1940s. More than 2,500 graduates of the academy served in wars and more than 100 lost their lives. When you visit, don't miss The Lone Cadet statue standing in front of the university flagpole. This statue is a memorial to the cadets who attended the Oklahoma Military Academy, many of whom devoted their lives to military service. Also be sure to visit museum’s Killed in Action Memorial, located between Preparatory Hall and Meyer Hall, which lists all former OMA cadets who were killed in action during various U.S. war engagements.

From Route 66/Lynn Riggs in Claremore, go west on Will Rogers Boulevard. RSU is at the end of the street on the hill top, marked by a white building with a gold dome known as Preparatory Hall. OMA Museum is on the second floor of Meyer Hall, the red two-story building directly south of Preparatory Hall.